Men’s Hockey
Given all of the media hype, you could be forgiven for thinking that today’s qualifying game between Russia and the USA was for the gold medal. And the way the U.S. media and few Americans in Sochi celebrated after the USA won (3-2) only added to this mistaken impression.
To be sure, it was an exciting game – complete with an overtime shootout. But I’ve seen this type of qualifying game and premature celebration play out before:
Last night’s USA vs. Canada game had to have been the most hyped and celebrated non-medal event of these Olympics. Yet all it did was to seal the triumph of national pride over Olympic glory…
Frankly, to see the Americans celebrating their 5-3 upset victory, and the Canadians mourning their surprising loss, you’d think they had just played the gold-medal game. Or, given that it came on the eve of the 30-year anniversary of the Cold-War gold medal match between the USA and Russia, a more fitting analogy might be that all involved were acting as if this were a second miracle on ice.
Whereas, this was only a preliminary-round game, which means that even though the Americans won this battle, the Canadians can still win the war. And I’m betting on it. But, woe Canada….
(“Men’s Hockey 2010 Vancouver Olympics,” The iPINIONS Journal, February 22, 2010)
See what I mean. Just imagine the pressure Team Canada was under after losing that qualifying game on home soil. Yet it won when it really mattered, taking gold and, more important, imbuing that country with national pride the likes of which not seen since, well, since Russia beat the United States to the moon.
Except that, where I was pulling for Canada to avenge that loss in Vancouver, I’m hoping Russia fails to avenge this loss in Sochi.
If Russia wins gold in Hockey, nothing else matters. If Russia loses, nothing else matters.
(NBC, February 15, 2014)
This was how acclaimed Russian journalist and talk-show host Vladimir Posner reacted to this loss, making the extraordinary admission that, no matter how many other gold medals Russians win, unless Team Russia avenges it by winning gold in Men’s Hockey, the country will consider these Games a national failure.
So forgive me for rooting for any team but Russia to win just to see President Vladimir Putin’s notorious swagger turn to squirm – as he tries to explain to his inconsolable country why the $50 billion he invested in these Games do not amount to the biggest waste of public expenditure in the history of mankind.
Men’s Speedskating 1500 (long track)
It might be that their high-tech Under Armour racing suits, billed as the fastest in the world, are actually slowing these skiers down too. This, after all, is the excuse their highly touted Speedskating teammates are proffering to explain their failure to win any medals at these Games so far.
(“Men’s Super Combined, Sochi Olympics: Day 7,” The iPINIONS Journal, February 14, 2014)
Evidently it wasn’t the suit after all. Because even after resorting to the old suits in which they won Olympic and World Championships, American skaters were still shut out of the medals. Brian Hansen finished 7th, and gold-medal hopeful Shani Davis finished 11th – leaving him 0-3 for medals of any kind at these Games. (Perhaps he can go drown his sorrows in a bucket of those McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets he and his teammates have been advertising on TV during these Games.)
Meanwhile, I was surprised and profoundly disappointed when Michel Mulder, who led a Dutch sweep in the 500, poured scorn on the Americans’ misfortunes by gloating that it’s not their suits; they’re just being outclassed. I never imagined the erstwhile genteel Dutch could or would talk American-style smack like that.
This is why, like me, the Americans probably derived a little consolation from seeing Zbigniew Brodka of Poland finally knock the flying Dutchmen off their pedestal, winning gold by just three one-thousandths of a second (aka less than the blink of an eye) over Koen Verweij of the Netherlands – who settled for silver. Denny Morrison of Canada took bronze.
Men’s Speedskating 1000 (short track)
In my Day 3 commentary, I dismissed this style of speedskating as little more than roller derby on ice. And, with all of the body blocking and crashing that went on, it duly lived up to my analogy.
The only reason I’m commenting on this race is to revel in the sweet vindication Ahn Hyun-Soo must be feeling after winning gold today. After all, despite winning three gold medals for his native South Korea at the 2006 Torino Olympics, Ahn was booted off the national team after injury made it impossible for him to qualify for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Understandably frustrated, he moved to Russia, where he became a naturalized citizen, changed his first name to the more nationalistic Viktor, and promptly made his way onto the Russian national team. Now he’s a Russian gold medalist too, no doubt to the chagrin of his former South Korean compatriots and teammates – who were shut out in this event.
Ahn’s new Russian teammate Vladimir Grigorev won silver; and, no they weren’t shut out, Sjinkie Knegt of the Netherlands, won bronze.
MEDAL COUNT
Russia: 15; Netherlands: 14; United States: 14
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